Device for removing shocks of railroad rails



Feb. 16, 1954 o. PoEBlNG 2,669,394

DEVICE FOR REMOVING SHOCKS OF' RAILROAD RAILS Filed Sept. 19, 1949 immun 1 mn. l HHH.. 'W

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*76a i' *je ...img-MNM ggg/geb If skar Poeh/'ny W///-nuzv BY aq f W Pam 44 43 Patented Feb. 16 1954 DEVICE FOR REM-OVING SHOCKS F RAILROAD RAILS 0skar Poebing, Munich, Germany Application September 19, 1949, Serial No. 116,489

1 Claim.

This invention relates to means for, and meth ods of, preventing shocks to rails or to the truck constructions of railroads, due to the wheels passing over the expansion spaces between aligned rails.

Attempts have been made to solve this this problem, but such efforts were directed largely to constructural features of nsh plates, with or without cutouts in the rails. The objections on account of increased expenses of installation as also the maintenance costs of their wear and replacement, are obvious.

This invention contemplates no change in the rails themselves and contrary to the functional operation heretofore proposed in which the distant rail of an expansion space was pushed down below the proximate rail, the present concept is based on the principle of pulling the distant rail downwardly by means of the downward pressure of the proximate rail. In consequence, as the proximate rail is being pushed downwardly by the rolling load, the distant rail is prevented from forming an obstruction as it would do if above the level of the depressed proximate rail, and as a result of the improvement the load carrying upper surfaces of the adjacent rail ends of the aligned rails, are maintained at substantially the same level, permitting the rolling load to pass from the proximate rail end onto the distant rail end in an even unobstructed passage irorn rail end to rail end, whatever space may be present, the normal distance of the space depending on climatic conditions and the reduced distance depending on the load. The improved structure when in operative position under load reduces this distance since the end portions of the adjacent aligned rails to the load partake of an arc contour, thus proximating the actual ends.

The invention consists in the novel tie connector extending below the ties underneath the adjacent rail ends at an expansion space, and preferably connected with the rails, so that when the rolling load depresses the proximate rail end and one or more of its supporting ties, and thus one longitudinal end of the connector, the other longitudinal end of the connector is likewise depressed, and the latter end pulls downwardly the tie or ties and the distant rail end correspondingly, whereby the relative abutting end faces of the adjacent rail ends have their upper wheel contacting surfaces brought to substantially the same level, in any event lower the distant rail end to prevent the presence of a shock producdistant rail end from the proximate rail end.

The invention described may be carried out in various embodiments; the connector may consist of spaced channel irons, with the bolts which connect the connector to the ties and, in the preferred form, to the rail ends, passing through the space between the backs of the channel irons; or the bolts may pass through the flanges of the channel irons to prevent their displacement; or an I bar may be utilized; or in some cases a worn rail in inverted position.

In a preferred form the invention contemplates the use of a spreader plate below the connector, to resist movement into the ballast or road bed.

The invention also consists in the method of removing rail end shocks, by subjecting the proximate rail end of an expansion space to a downward pushing force and simultaneously""the distant rail end to a downward pulling force, while the loaded wheel depresses the proximate end of said rail ends, and subjecting the former distant end, now proximate end of the rail to a downward pushing force, and simultaneously the former proximate end, now distant end, to a downward pulling force, when the wheel has left the former proximate end and depresses the former distant end of the rail ends, for levelling the adjacent ends of the rail ends at the expansion rail space, to remove any obstruction to the wheel vertically or laterally as it passes over said expansion space.

The invention may be embodied in other constructional forms best suited to varyingI types of rails and road bed conditions, carrying out the principle of the invention hereinafter described.

The invention will be more fully described hereinafter, certain embodiments thereof shown in the drawings, and the invention Will be finally pointed out in the claim.

In the accompanying drawings,

Fig. 1 is an inverted perspective view of a pair of parallel rails forming a track, having the improvement embodied therewith;

Fig. 2 is a side View of one of the rails of the track shown in Fig. 1, taken on line 2 2 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a vertical section taken on line 3-3 of Fig. 2 of one of the rails;

Fig. 4 is a vertical section taken across a track, when the expansion spaces are on a transverse line to the length of the track, showing a different embodiment than that of Fig. 3;

Fig. 5 is a vertical section oi" a modined form, in which the bolts pass through the base flanges of the rail and also through the flanges of the connector;

Fig. 6 is a vertical section of another modification, in which the rail is held down by clips, through which the bolts pass, which bolts may enclose the connector as shown, or be within the connector as in Fig. 3;

Fig. '7 is a diagrammatic side view, showing the leveling of the rail end edges for the even passage of the loaded wheel.

Similar characters of reference indicate corresponding parts throughout the various views.

Referring to the drawings, the known parts are the rails it, and l2; the iish plates |4 and l5, and the ties IS, in general, and in particular as |6a, |619, |60 and ld. The rails are shown in their simplest form, without bridge joints or similar devices as known.

The novel construction is the connector 2i?, consisting in the embodiment shown of two channel irons 2| and 22 placed back to back, their upper flanges 2|a and 22a contacting with the bottom surfaces of theties, and their lower iianges 2lb and 22h contacting with a U shaped spreader and washer member 23, shown particularly as 23a., 23h, 23o or 23d. This member 23 is provided with spaced openings 24 for the passage of the bolts, which pass through openings 25 or bores in the ties.

The disposition of these fastening bolts Hc, |11), |10 and |1d in respect to the connector 2t, rail ends, and spreader and washer member 23, may be varied.

In Fig. 3, the spreader member 23 is in the form of a channel member having a web 26, and anges 21 and 28, with two spaced openings 24, which member `2? is'disposed at right angles to the connector 20, with the outer surface of the web-26 abutting against the outer surfaces of the flanges 2lb and 22b of the connector 20. The flanges 21 and 28 extend downwardly. The length of the spreader member 23 is about the length of the distance between the outer edges of the anges 2lb and 22h, though it may be longer or slightly shorter, the shorter length depending on a suiiicient contacting surface with the outer surfaces of the flanges 2lb and 221).

Each tie IB has spaced bores 25 for the passage of the bolts, and the rail ends have bores 3|a and 3|b in the base flanges 32a and 32h for the passage of the screwthreaded ends of the bolts. Washers 32o may be provided. Bolt heads 33a and 3312 abut against the web 26 of the washer or spreader member 23, and nuts 34a and 34h, engage the screwthreaded ends of the bolts, to hold the base flanges of the rail down against the ties (Fig. 3). Other known rail holding means may be used. In Fig. 3, the connector 20 has two members 2| and 22 spaced from each other a sufficient distance to permit the bolts i1 to pass through the space 33d between their webs or backs.

In Fig. 2, the Vconnector 20 extends at each side of the rail expansion space 35, a distance, at least, to connect with two ties at each side ofl the rail expansion space 35, and each bolt connection shown in side View in Fig. 2 is of Vthe construction shown in the sectional View in Fig. 3.

The connector members 2| and 22 may be spaced closer together, as shown in Fig. 5, and the bolts then pass through openings or bores 35 in the iianges of the connector members; the construction being otherwise the same as in Fig. 3. Y

Instead of providing the base flanges of the rails with openings as in Figs. 3 and 5, holding clips 31 may b e provided, which engage the top of the base flanges of the rail, and have openings 38 for the passage of the bolts; the connector structure and its parts being otherwise the same as that shown in Fig. 5. Alternatively, when such ciips 31 or the like are used, the connector members 2| and 22 may be spaced to enclose the bolts as shown in Fig. 3.

In the diagrammatic view shown in Fig. 7, the top wheel contacting rail surfaces are indicated by the horizontal dot dash line 40. The wheel 4| under load W presses the proximate rail end 42 downwardly in the direction of the arrow 43. A preliminary downward pressure in the direction of the arrow 44 has already taken place. In consequence, one end 20a of the connector 2t has been pressed down, since the ties MiaV and |617 have been pressed down, in the direction of the arrows 43 and 44, at the proximate rail end 42, which forces the other end 2Gb of the connector 2B, which is below the distant end 45 ofthe adjacent rail, downwardly, as a result of which the ties isc and Id and the distant end of the rail are pulled or drawn downwardly, whereby the distant end and the proximate end surfaces of the adjacent rail ends, are brought to the same level, and any obstruction of the distant rail end to the loaded wheel is entirely obviated. The proximity of the two ties immediately adjacent the rail end edges of the ex pansion space assists in the leveling or alignment of the top and side surfaces. The connector 2e extending from the two outer ties and also under the two inner ties assures a stability against a pivotal movement of the connector. The connector acts in the nature of a supplementary underground truss bridging the expansion space between the rail ends and for transmitting forces from one rail end to the other, making two separated rails substantially one continuous rail, in so far as any wheel shock is concerned.

In certain cases, where the expansion spaces are not staggered, but on a transverse line, the washer and spreader member 23 may extend from one rail to the parallel opposite rail, as indicated at 5i] in Fig. 4, or by the extension 5| in Fig. 5. The web acts as a washer to act against the bolt heads, and the spread out member acts Vto prevent the connector 20 from wedging into the ballast, and the iianges act to limit lateral movement.

The connector 20c shown in Fig. Il, is of an I type of profile iron with flanges abutting the bolts, to prevent its displacement. The structure is otherwise like Fig. 6.

The ballast or road bed has not been shown, as well known.

The use of the descriptive words "prcximate and distant are related to the position of the wheel in its direction of movement from one rail to the other over the expansion space.

The necessary repairs of rolling material on wheelsand rails of railroads rest on the fact that due to the presently known manner ci laying and fastening of the rails with the loaded wheels passing from one rail to the next adjacent rail over the space between the rail ends, a shock of the wheel on the approaching or distant rail and from the neighboring departing or proximate rail results, which shock must be taken up by the wheels'and axle bearings, and which is correspondingly transposed to the neighboringparts of the rolling stock, Vand to the obstructing rail. Structures embodying this invention obvia-te this shock and. the sum of the shocks consequent on the same, by the means described, requiring relatively little labor in the installation of the rails, with eventual non-essential changes in the same, and with only a reasonable supplementation of the rail bed.

It is important to recognize that with this invention during the ori-rolling of the loaded wheel in the direction oi the end of the rail, this rail end cannot be pressed down unilaterally, with the adjacent ties and other foundations and connections, without at the same time, loading along the adjacent rail end, and, at the same time bringing it down to the same level as the first rail end.

This is achieved as described by having one rail connected with the adjacent rail in the usual manner by sh plates or couplings, but the load of the rolling weight is assumed by at least four ties, and by the novel supporting system, which divides the rolling on load equally on the two adjacent rail ends, which load is thus distributed, and in this manner does not permit any practical noticeable transposition of the rail ends to each other in the high and side positions by the rolling over them of any load.

The known connections as ish plates or couplings cannot do away with the shock on the rails, though they may diminish it somewhat, and then only for a limited and relatively short time, until a corresponding wearing off of the iish plates or couplings and their connections have taken place. A real, permanent. and essential doing away of the rail end shocks comes into play first then when, by the novel special foundation structure, namely, by the connection oi at least L two ties at each side of the expansion space by the length of the proiile iron or connector, forming a continuation of the almost abutting rail ends in respect to the distribution of the forces.

As small as the installation cost is for complementing the track with the improved rail foundations, so essential is the accomplished effect of the removal of the rail shocks. The cost is increased only slightly, prevents however the rail shocks, and protects the rolling material in all ground connected transportation systems. The once installed improvement has the same life as the usual rails. That life, however, is increased by the improvement due to the removal of the harmful rail shocks.

While the cost may be increased about 2% this is less than the losses of about 5% now expended for repairs. etc. Assuming the life of a rail to be about years, and the life of the improvement is the same, then the savings on repairs would amount to about 150% compared to the once expended 2% for the installation of the improvement, that is about a '75 advantage by the use of the improvement.

By covering the wheels with rubber, there is provided in addition, an almost complete protection of the rubber rims, and thereby an important increase in the life of rubber tired cars is achieved, which provide a completely noiseless and shockless riding, which is a distinct advance over the present form of transportation, as the spring structure of the rolling stock is simplified and an increase in speed of the rolling material is attained.

I wish it to be understood that I do not desire to be limited to the exact details of construction shown and described, for obvious modications will occur to a person skilled in the art.

I claim:

In means for preventing rail shocks ci wheels of railroads in which the rails have butt ends forming an expansion space between said ends, said rails having laterally outwardly extending base flanges, the combination of a plurality of ties arranged transversely to said rails, one of said ties being spaced on either side of said exk pansion space, and near the same and at least one of the other ties being spaced from the nrst named ties a greater distance than the space between said rst mentioned ties adjacent said expansion space, the rails at the expansion space being unsupported by ties, the upper surfaces of all of said ties contacting with the lower surfaces of said rails, a straight rigid connector formed of a pair of rigid channel bars extending in both directions from said expansion space to the extent of at least two adjacent ties at each side of said expansion space, the upper surface of said connector contacting with the lower surfaces oi said ties, said connector being parallel with said rails, crossplates transverse oi said connector having their upper surfaces contacting with the lower surfaces of said connector, and pairs of laterally spaced bolts, each pair connected at their lower ends with said crossplates and extending through the ties with their upper ends each connected with one of the base flanges of said rail, said rail ends, said connector and ties therebetween together with said crossplates and said bolts as described forming a rigid unitary structure with the ends of said rails forming said expansion space for freedom of vertical movement in respect to each other when l)he wheel load on one rail end presses down Said rail end, and simultaneously presses down one end of said connector, the other end of said connector pulls down the other rail end to the level oi the pre-loaded rail end, and to align the rail ends for the wheel as it rolls over the said expansion space from the pre-loaded rail end on to the other rail end, reducing rail shocks to said wheel at said expansion space.

OSKAR POEBING.

References Cited in the le of this patent UNTTED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 758,586 Dickey Apr. 26, 1904 788,479 Labady Apr. 25, 1905 884,382 Handford Apr. 14, 1908 1,034,296 Phillips July 30, 1912 1,326,793 Sheppard Dec. 30, 1919 1,748,309 Rose Feb. 25, 1930 1,997,939 Loucks Apr, 16, 1935 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 14,189 Great Britain of 1852 li2,8'=1 Switzerland Nov. 11, 1908 

